It’s not hard to get overwhelmed shopping for a new cologne or perfume, whether online or at a local shop.
Not only are there an almost unlimited array of fragrances to pick and choose from, but there are also different “levels” of fragrance to sift through. Pour homme eau de toilette is just one of them!
What exactly does pour homme eau de toilette mean, though? Is it all that different from a perfume or cologne? Is it different from elephant?
Does it have any impact on what the perfume or cologne you end up buying smells like or how long it lasts?
We answer all of those questions (and then some) below.
What Does Pour Homme Eau de Toilette Mean?
Straight out of the gate it’s important to know exactly what the words “pour homme eau de toilette” mean when you are buying a new bottle of cologne or perfume.
A lot of people are under the impression that this phrase is somehow linked to a certain manufacturer. Others feel it’s just a fancy (or French) away to describe any cologne or perfume.
Truth be told, though, this phrase – pour homme eau de toilette – is made up of two core parts. And believe it or not you’re supposed to read the phrase backwards in English!
First, you want to look at the second half of the phrase, the eua de toilette part. This lets you know how strong the cologne or perfume in the bottle is (and this specific phrase means the cologne isn’t all that strong).
There are four main fragrance “levels”, each one a little stronger than the next, and that’s why it’s easy to find the same colognes and perfume with different phrases on the bottle.
It’s all about the strength of the formula in the bottle!
A pour homme eau de toilette formula sits at the bottom of the fragrance strength level rankings, making it a perfect option for those that want a just a bit of cologne to stick around for a short while before they start their day.
The second part of the phrase – pour homme – lets you know that this specific fragrance formula is intended for men. You’ll find this on cologne bottles almost exclusively.
What is the Difference Between Perfumes and Eau de Toilette?
Now that we have that sorted, let’s break down the four major levels of cologne and perfume and what these levels mean.
Eau de Toilette
The weakest formula of the bunch, any bottle of cologne or perfume that has this phrase on the bottle or the box is letting you know that it’s not going to linger long.
Most of these formulas have a fragrance strength of between 1% and 6%. These are designed to give you a quick “pick me up” in the morning – kind of like and aftershave – and then disappear by the time you head out the door and begin your day.
Eau de Parfum
The next jump up from eau de toilette, you’ll see this on colognes and perfumes that have a fragrance concentration of between 7% and 15% or so.
Almost universally beloved as the most popular type of cologne or perfume on the market today, these fragrances are strong enough to last for a couple of hours but not so strong that they become overwhelming or overbearing.
Parfum
This level of fragrance is sometimes referred to as an extract or an extract perfume. It almost always has a fragrance concentration of between 15% and 40% at the high end.
When you start to get above 15% fragrance concentration you’re talking about very strong, very long-lasting fragrances. These skyhigh fragrance concentration levels also mean the price of these perfumes and colognes are significantly more expensive than the two lower levels.
Cologne
Cologne is the last level, but really it’s on par with the parfum level – it’s just that cologne is often diluted with alcohol. The alcohol cuts down on the actual aroma of the fragrance are little bit (lowering its potency) but dramatically extends its staying power.
Is Pour Homme Men’s or Women’s Fragrance?
Anytime you see the phrase “pour homme” you know that you are looking at a fragrance that has specifically been designed with men in mind.
These kinds of fragrances usually have stronger aromatic components, bolder aromatic components, and fragrance formulas that are going to utilize more traditionally masculine scents.
We are talking about woodsy, musky, a leather, cedar, and smoke kinds of aromas that you generally don’t find a ton of in the perfume for women world.
That being said, there are also a ton of really popular pour homme eau de toilette options that are very bright and citrusy. These fragrances have a real unisex appeal to them, even if the formulas have been intentionally created for men by the manufacturer.
Remember this, too: There’s no rule and there’s no law that says you have to stick to fragrances designed for your gender exclusively.
What is Pour Homme Perfume?
As we highlighted a moment ago, the last part of these fragrance identifying phrases really tells you the kind of strength of the formula you’re dealing with.
While a lot of English speakers would automatically assume that any phrase including the word “perfume” is specifically intended for women, it really only means that the fragrance concentration is between 7% and 15% of the entire formula.
This means you’re dealing with a relatively strong fragrance, something you could confidently wear throughout the day or into the evening and not have to worry about it fading for at least a couple of hours.
Closing Thoughts
Hopefully the inside information we highlighted above helps you better navigate the world of cologne a little easier than you would have otherwise.
Now that you know what the “pour homme eau de toilette” phrase means you’ll be able to better pick and choose the right bottles of cologne for your collection.
All that’s left to do is find fragrances that you really connect with, fragrances you feel complement your personality well, and you are off and running!
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Here at FullPersonalCare.com our main goal is to help you in your personal care and solve all the question you could have about any of the accessories you will normally use to take care of yourself.